I am a reader.  The Kindle has transformed my existence.  At times, it's made me giddy with excitement knowing I carry a small library in such a compact package.  I'm never reading one book at a time.  If I'm in the mood to work on my psyche, nurture my understanding of the spiritual, be inspired by a life or just plain escape from reality, there it is.

Part of it, is just having the options.  Don't we like to have choices?  The freedom to pick and choose.  Free will...what a gift!  A gift from a gracious God who lets our lumps and bumps teach us something.  Who didn't choose to reign with an iron fist forcing us to march one way, but gave us hearts and  minds with the ability to conform to His likeness.....or not.

We see a lot of the "or not" in this world today and it's hard to understand.  Hard to understand why evil would be chosen over good.  It's even harder to understand how a great, all-knowing God would be willing to walk this world in the midst of our choices and experience the worst possible outcome.

Don't take that lightly.  Don't just know that and not feel it.  Don't let the tradition of your religion keep you from a full on encounter with the magnitude of that day.

We are moved by innocent lives taken one way or another just about every day.  We hear it on the news, see it in the papers.  We gasp, we weep, we're horrified.

Feel that for Jesus.  Let the reality of that life lost for you, sacrificed for your sin, move you in a mighty way.

Have we forgotten this?  Has it become head knowledge?  Have our hearts hardened or taken for granted the amazing love behind such a tremendous gift?

I know I need reminding.  I know my day can go on without really, really being aware and present with the fact that I can choose and it came at a tremendous cost.

Choose life!